Lewiston Strong: Manhunt Updates to Hunting, Shelter in Place

Updated: 10:31 p.m.: The shelter-in-place order in Androscoggin County has been lifted as the massive manhunt continues.

UPDATE: Robert Card was located on Friday night and is deceased of an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound. 

What Do We Know About the Victims?

Police say there are multiple warrants out for the arrest of Card, 40, of Bowdoin who is accused of killing 18 people and injuring 13 in two mass shootings on Wednesday night. The attacks began just before 7:00 at the Just in Time Bowling Alley in Lewiston, where people ran for cover from a man who walked in with a rifle and opened fire. A timeline released by police shows the assailant then went to Schemengees Bar and Grill, where more people were killed. One of the people sent to the hospital with injuries from the bowling alley died sometime later.

Several people remain hospitalized, with some in stable condition. Others are currently in critical care.

The names of the victims of Wednesday's shooting were released during Friday afternoon's new conference:

• Aaron Young, 14
• William Young, 44 (Aaron's Dad)
• Ronald G Morin, 55
• Bryan M. MacFarlane, 41
• Tricia Asselin, 53, was a part-time employee of Just in Time Recreation
• Maxx Hathaway, 35
• Thomas Conrad, 34, was a manager at Just in Time Recreation
• Peyton Brewer Ross, 40, was a new father
• Michael R. Deslauriers II, 51
• William Frank Brackett, 48
• Keith Macneir, 64
• Joshua Seal, 36, was a father of four who worked during the pandemic as the ASL interpreter during Dr. Shah's media conferences
• Arthur Strout, 42, was a father of five who was killed at Schemengees
• Robert Violette, 76 was killed at Just in Time Recreation, where he started a practice league for children. Witnesses say he died protecting children from the gunman
• Lucille Violette, 73 (Robert's wife)
• Jason Adam Walker, 51
• Steven Vozzella, 45, was part of a gathering of deaf people at Schemengees
• Joseph Lawrence Walker, 57, was the manager at Schemengees Bar & Grill and was the son of Auburn City Councilor Leroy Walker, Jr. Witnesses say he grabbed a knife and was running for the shooter when he was shot twice.

Our sincerest, heartfelt condolences to the victims' families and friends.

What's Happening With the Manhunt?

At Friday afternoon's news conference, Maine Department of Public Safety Commissioner Michael Sauschuck said the shelter-in-place order for Androscoggin County and part of Sagadahoc County has been lifted. He said, while it is no longer required for people to stay home, he encourages people to remain vigilant. In addition, it will be up to individual business owners about whether they want to resume operations while the manhunt continues.

Hunting was suspended indefinitely in four Maine communities, including Lewiston, Lisbon Falls, Bowdoin, and Monmouth. This includes all hunting activities, for any species, by any method, and by use of any implement. That ban was lifted, once Card's body was found.

A search of the area on Paper Mills Trail and in the water off Miller Park boat launch on Frost Hill in Lisbon Falls, where Robert Card's vehicle was found began on Friday. Sauschuck says it will continue on Saturday. I

Sauschuck reminded the public that helicopters and planes in the air as the search continues do not necessarily indicate that they have found Card, so he asks for the public's understanding and support as they try to find the suspect.

People who have pictures, videos, and/or tips that may be related to this case can submit them through an FBI digital tipline: fbi.gov/LewistonTips

The Commissioner confirmed that a note was found in one of the residences searched on Thursday. He declined to give any information about the contents of that note. Card's cellphone was also found at the home, which complicates search efforts. And Sauschuck said a gun was found in the white vehicle left abandoned at the boat launch where divers have spent their day in Lisbon Falls.

A massive manhunt brought together state, local, and federal law enforcement agents who combed the Lewiston, Lisbon, and Bowdoin area throughout the night and into Thursday. By Thursday night, multiple crews had surrounded a home belonging to someone in Robert Card's family on Meadow Road in Bowdoin in an effort to execute a search warrant. Hopes grew as police could be heard calling through a loudspeaker, demanding that Robert Card come outside with his hands in the air. Maine Department of Public Safety spokesperson Shannon Moss said, in a media release, that this was typical of the way search warrants are executed and that the demands were not an indication that police knew he was there. In the end, it was determined that he was not in the home and the search continued.

A shelter-in-place order for residents of Androscoggin County and northern Sagadahoc County has been extended, while law enforcement officials look for Card. Pictures of Card have been released by Maine State Police who say he is armed and dangerous. If anyone thinks they see the suspect, police say DO NOT APPROACH. Get to a safe location and then call 911.

Are There Fundraisers for the Victims and Their Families?

The GoFundMe website has launched a fundraising site for the people affected by the Lewiston shootings.

At the Boston Bruins game on Thursday night, a jersey was hung that said 'Lewiston Strong' and featured the number 207. The Bruins organization has pledged at least $100,000 to help those affected.

People who are interested in doing something to help are encouraged to donate blood. To make an appointment or find a list of blood drives, log onto the American Red Cross website. 

Anyone who is feeling overwhelmed by this tragic event is encouraged to reach out. Counselors are available 24/7 by calling or texting 288. The conversation will be free and confidential.